Photo Gallery: Striking scenes from Tuesday’s protest against Senate Bill 1 and Ohio State’s DEI changes

Sandra Fu, Carly Jo Damon, Reilly Ackermann, William Moody, Emma MacMath, Anthony Hanna
Wed, 05 Mar 2025 17:57:17 +0000
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Students, faculty and staff gather in front of Thompson Library to protest Ohio Senate Bill 1 and Ohio State’s diversity, equity and inclusion rollbacks. Credit: Carly Damon | Asst. Photo Editor

Students, faculty and staff hold up signs in front of Thompson Library March 4 to protest Ohio Senate Bill 1 and Ohio State’s diversity, equity and inclusion rollbacks. Credit: Carly Damon | Asst. Photo Editor

Students, faculty and staff gather in front of Thompson Library to protest Ohio Senate Bill 1 and Ohio State’s diversity, equity and inclusion rollbacks. Credit: Carly Damon | Asst. Photo Editor

Students, faculty and staff gather in front of Thompson Library to protest Ohio Senate Bill 1 and Ohio State’s diversity, equity and inclusion rollbacks. Credit: Carly Damon | Asst. Photo Editor

Students, faculty and staff gather in front of Thompson Library to protest Ohio Senate Bill 1 and Ohio State’s diversity, equity and inclusion rollbacks. Credit: Carly Damon | Asst. Photo Editor

A protest attendee dresses as the devil in front of Thompson Library to protest Ohio Senate Bill 1 and Ohio State’s diversity, equity and inclusion rollbacks. Credit: Carly Damon | Asst. Photo Editor

Grey Romohr, a fourth-year in English with a concentration in creative writing, writes "Fascism has no place anywhere" in chalk in front of Thompson Library to protest Ohio Senate Bill 1 and Ohio State’s diversity, equity and inclusion rollbacks. Credit: Carly Damon | Asst. Photo Editor

Grey Romohr, a fourth-year in English with a concentration in creative writing, writes "Carter is a puppet for the state" in chalk in front of Thompson Library to protest Ohio Senate Bill 1 and Ohio State’s diversity, equity and inclusion rollbacks. Credit: Emma MacMath | Lantern Photographer

Hasan Kwame Jeffries — a professor in the Department of History — gives a speech to students, faculty and staff in front of Thompson Library to protest Ohio Senate Bill 1 and Ohio State’s diversity, equity and inclusion rollbacks. Credit: Carly Damon | Asst. Photo Editor

Signs cover the feet of the statue of William Oxley Thompson as Ohio State students, staff, faculty and community members gather speak out against Ohio Senate Bill 1 and changes made to Ohio State's diversity, equity and inclusion programming Tuesday. Credit: Sandra Fu | Photo Editor

A student sits next to a sign reading "Save Higher Ed," in front of Thompson Library Tuesday to speak out against Ohio Senate Bill 1 and changes made to Ohio State's diversity, equity and inclusion programming. Credit: Sandra Fu | Photo Editor

Students hold signs in front of Thompson Library Tuesday to speak out against Ohio Senate Bill 1 and changes made to Ohio State's diversity, equity and inclusion programming. Credit: Sandra Fu | Photo Editor

Ohio State Rep. Munira Abdullahi (D-Columbus) speaks to the crowd in front of Thompson Library Tuesday to speak out against Ohio Senate Bill 1 and changes made to Ohio State's diversity, equity and inclusion programming. Credit: Sandra Fu | Photo Editor

Ohio State Rep. Munira Abdullahi (D-Columbus) speaks to the crowd in front of Thompson Library Tuesday to speak out against Ohio Senate Bill 1 and changes made to Ohio State's diversity, equity and inclusion programming. Credit: Sandra Fu | Photo Editor

Students sit under the statue of William Oxley Thompson in front of Thompson Library Tuesday to speak out against Ohio Senate Bill 1 and changes made to Ohio State's diversity, equity and inclusion programming. Credit: Sandra Fu | Photo Editor

A student holds a sign reading "Diversity is our strength, not a budget cut," in front of Thompson Library Tuesday to speak out against Ohio Senate Bill 1 and changes made to Ohio State's diversity, equity and inclusion programming. Credit: Anthony Hanna | Lantern Photographer

A student holds a sign reading "Protect diversity," in front of Thompson Library Tuesday to speak out against Ohio Senate Bill 1 and changes made to Ohio State's diversity, equity and inclusion programming. Credit: Sandra Fu | Photo Editor

A student speaks to the crowd in front of Thompson Library Tuesday to speak out against Ohio Senate Bill 1 and changes made to Ohio State's diversity, equity and inclusion programming. Credit: Sandra Fu | Photo Editor

Christina Carter holds a sign reading "Don't tread on my academic freedom," in front of Thompson Library Tuesday to speak out against Ohio Senate Bill 1 and changes made to Ohio State's diversity, equity and inclusion programming. Credit: Sandra Fu | Photo Editor

Event organizers and protesters hummed along to “Buckeye Swag,” accompanied by live tuba and trumpet players, in front of Thompson Library Tuesday to speak out against Ohio Senate Bill 1 and changes made to Ohio State's diversity, equity and inclusion programming. Credit: Sandra Fu | Photo Editor

A student holds a sign reading "Shred SB1," in front of Thompson Library Tuesday to speak out against Ohio Senate Bill 1 and changes made to Ohio State's diversity, equity and inclusion programming. Credit: Reilly Ackermann | Asst. Campus Editor

Pedro Schacht Pereira, a professor in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, speaks to the crowd in front of Thompson Library Tuesday to speak out against Ohio Senate Bill 1 and changes made to Ohio State's diversity, equity and inclusion programming. Credit: Reilly Ackermann | Asst. Photo Editor

A student holds a sign reading "No sign is big enough for all the reasons," in front of Thompson Library Tuesday to speak out against Ohio Senate Bill 1 and changes made to Ohio State's diversity, equity and inclusion programming. Credit: Sandra Fu | Photo Editor

Sam Shim, an Ohio State alum and representative from Honesty for Ohio Education, holds a sign reading "Say no to SB1," as he finishes his remarks in front of Thompson Library Tuesday to speak out against Ohio Senate Bill 1 and changes made to Ohio State's diversity, equity and inclusion programming. Credit: Sandra Fu | Photo Editor

Richard Finlay Fletcher, professor in the Department of Arts Administration, Education and Policy and a member of the Arts and Sciences Curriculum Committee, speaks to the crowd in front of Thompson Library Tuesday to speak out against Ohio Senate Bill 1 and changes made to Ohio State's diversity, equity and inclusion programming. Credit: Sandra Fu | Photo Editor

A student holds a sign reading "Don't drain me," in front of Thompson Library Tuesday to speak out against Ohio Senate Bill 1 and changes made to Ohio State's diversity, equity and inclusion programming. Credit: Sandra Fu | Photo Editor

A student climbed a tree in the Oval to listen to a speaker in front of Thompson Library Tuesday to speak out against Ohio Senate Bill 1 and changes made to Ohio State's diversity, equity and inclusion programming. Credit: Sandra Fu | Photo Editor

Ohio State students, faculty, staff and community members sang an altered rendition of "Carmen Ohio" in front of Thompson Library Tuesday to speak out against Ohio Senate Bill 1 and changes made to Ohio State's diversity, equity and inclusion programming. Credit: Sandra Fu | Photo Editor

Students, faculty and staff gather in front of Thompson Library March 4 to speak out against Ohio Senate Bill 1 and changes made to Ohio State's diversity, equity and inclusion programming. Credit: Anthony Hanna | Lantern Photographer

A student holds a sign reading "If universities don't stand up for us, who will?" in front of Thompson Library March 4 to speak out against Ohio Senate Bill 1 and changes made to Ohio State's diversity, equity and inclusion programming. Credit: Will Moody | Lantern Photographer

Pranav Jani — president of Ohio State’s chapter of AAUP, program director for Asian American Studies, faculty advisor for Students for Justice in Palestine and a professor in the Department of English — closes out the protest outside of Thompson Library Tuesday. Credit: Sandra Fu | Photo Editor

Approximately 900 Ohio State community members assembled in the Oval to protest Senate Bill 1 and Ohio State’s recent diversity, equity and inclusion cutbacks. Attendees included students, faculty, staff, alumni and more.

This demonstration comes after Thursday’s University Senate meeting, where Ohio State President Ted Carter Jr. announced the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Center for Belonging and Social Change were being eliminated. These changes accompany numerous executive orders issued by President Donald Trump’s administration, a letter from the Department of Education and Ohio Senate Bill 1.

Tuesday’s event mainly featured speeches, chants and songs. It was organized by the university’s chapters of the American Association of University Professors and the Ohio Student Association, marking their first-ever partnership.

This photo gallery compiles some of the protest’s most notable moments. For a full breakdown, click here.